Improving nutritional outcomes in agriculture interventions

The European Commission’s External Action Infopoint hosted a conference on "Improving nutritional outcomes in agriculture interventions". Agricultural interventions (from local projects to large scale policies) are usually regarded as positive or neutral toward human nutrition. The CIRAD/ACF team drew on lessons from 170 studies and identified six pathways from successful agricultural interventions to negative nutrition outcomes, and suggested recommendations to avoid them. The main agricultural risks identified, includes: i) nutritional risk despite an increase in agricultural income; ii) risk is a mismatch in food availabilities; iii) risk of price rations detrimental to nutrition; iv) risk of a deteriorating role of women; v) health risks and environmental degradation (associated to aflatoxin, irrigation, pesticides amongst others) and vi) risk of worsening inequalities. Here is the study which details the findings and here is the background note.